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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah health officials reported 343 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, as well as 12 additional deaths.
Of the new cases, 174 were confirmed on Friday, 102 on Saturday and 67 on Sunday, the Utah Department of Health said. The rolling, seven-day average for new cases is now 134 per day.
School-age children accounted for 39 of the new cases.
Now, 130 hospitalized people in Utah have COVID-19, a decrease of 67 since the previous Monday, March 14.
Health care workers administered 4,500 new vaccine doses since Friday's report, bringing total doses given in Utah to 4,989,761.
In the last 28 days, people who are unvaccinated were at 3.2 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19, 2.1 times greater risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 1.9 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 than vaccinated people, state health officials said.
Compared to those who also received boosters, people who are unvaccinated are at 15.4 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19, 5.3 times greater risk of being hospitalized due to COVID-19, and 2 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19, according to the transmission data.
Intermountain Healthcare surpassed two million COVID-19 tests collected and processed since the start of the pandemic in early 2020.
"This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the caregivers throughout our system, but especially in our lab who process these tests 24 hours a day," Karen Brownell, assistant vice president of laboratory services at Intermountain Healthcare, said in a statement.
Health care officials marked improvements in testing technology and processes, helping more community members access tests.
"With overall demand down, we hope rapid PCR testing, which to this point has only made up about 20% of all tests, will make up a larger share of needed testing so we have results even faster," said Dr. Sterling Bennett, medical director at Intermountain Central Lab. "The continued improvements in process and technology are making us more prepared for a future with COVID or any other infectious diseases."
He said caregivers are hopeful there won't be another spike in COVID-19 cases, but if there is, testing will play an important role in keeping the community safe.
The state's death toll due to the coronavirus now stands at 4,572. One previously-reported deaths was removed from the state's totals Monday after further study by the medical examiner. Five of the deaths reported Monday occurred before Feb. 21. The deaths latest COVID-19 deaths include:
- A Davis County woman between 65 and 84, not hospitalized when she died.
- A Davis County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 25-44, hospitalized.
- A Salt Lake County woman, 65-84, hospitalized.
- A Utah County woman, older than 85, not hospitalized.
- A Utah County man, older than 85, long-term care facility resident.
- Two Utah County women, 65-84, both long-term care facility residents.
- A Washington County man, 45-64, not hospitalized.
- A Washington County woman, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
- A Washington County man, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
- A Weber County man, 65-84, long-term care facility resident.
